James jerkin



(N5 Model.)

J JENKINSON.

COMBINED HOOP SKIRT AND BUSTLE. I

No. 304,935. Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

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NITED STATES ATENT OF ICE.

JAMES JENKINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK.

COMBINED HOOP-SKIRT AND BUSTLE.

iTBEEGIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 304,935, dated September 9, 1884.

Application filed November 8, 1883.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JAMnsJnNKInsoN, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improved Combined Hoop-Skirt and Bustle; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hoopskirts and bustles; and its object is to construct the same in such manner that by a ready and easily-made adjustment either the skirt or the bustle can be worn separately, or both can be worn at the same time.

The invention consists in the combination, with a hoop-skirt and a bustle, of aseries of straps attached to and depending from the bustle. and each having a buckle or other fast ening device at its lower end, and a corresponding series of straps attached to the skirt, of sutficient length to extend to the waist of the wearer, and provided with loops at their upper ends to receive a cord or band, the whole being constructed, as hereinafter particularly described, so that the skirt can be detached from the bustle, and when detached can be worn separately by being suspended from the said cord or band, which latter in that case is passed through the loops and tied around the waist.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of the skirt and bustle connected; Fig. 2, a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of the skirt detached from the bustle as it appears when worn without the bustle, and Fig. 4 is a detail View on a larger scale and hereinafter referred to and explaincd.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the several figures.

A represents the bustle, and B the hoop-skirt. The rear portion of the bustle A is formed with the ordinary hoops or ribs, a a a, and the front portion thereof is of knitted or woven material, open up its center, and the edges of the opening adapted to be fastened or drawn together with a lace or cord, 1), and said bustle is provided with aband, c, which is fastened around the waist of thewearer. Attached to (No model.)

said bustle are straps d and (1' d, the former at th e center of the back, and the latter one on each thelower ends of saidstraps extend slightly below the lower edge of the bustle, and are each provided with a buckle or other fastening device, f. The skirt B is formed with the ordinary ribs or hoops, a a, except at the front portion thereof, which latter willpresently be described. Attached tothe skirt are straps m m and m m m, each of which is of sufficient length to reach to the waist of the wearer, and is provided with a loop, a, at its end to receive the cord or band by which it is tied around the waist when worn without the bustle. When the skirt and the bustle are worn together,the straps m m m are attached to the straps d d (1 011 the bustle by means of the buckles or fasting devices f, and the straps m m are drawn up to the waist, and their loops at passed over the cord or band 6, as shown most plainly in the detail Fig. 4, and when the skirt is worn alone or without the bustle the upper ends of all of said straps m and m are drawn up to the waist of the wearer and passed over said cord or band 6, as shown in Fig. 3. When the bustle is worn alone,t-he straps mm are disconnected from the cord or band 6, and m m m are disconnected from d d d.

In the drawings I have shown an improve ment in the construction of the front oftheskirt, which said improvement I ordinarily use in connection with the invention above described,

. but which I do not claim as part of my said invention. In this improvement the ribs a a, instead of being extended across the front, are madeto terminate at some distance therefrom, and the intermediate portion or front, p,of the skirt is of knitted or woven material, and is divided by an opening, r, up its center, and the sides of this opening are provided with eyelets s,to receive a cord or lace, t, by means of which the parts are drawn together. By means of this construct-ion greater elasticity is obtained, as any portion of the front that may be subjected to undue pressure (as, for instance, in ascending stairs) will yield under the pressure and resume its normal position as soon as the pressure is removed.

I may state that the whole of the skirt and also of the bustle is usually covered with a knitted fabric; but this is omitted in the drawings, to avoid crowding the same, except in those portions which consist of knitted or woven fabric only.

I am aware that a ho0p-skirt has been made with an open space or spaces to accommodate the feet in walking, as shown in the Patent No. 31,876, to T. B. De Forest; also, that a hoopskirt has been made in which the lower hoops are inserted in a detachable cloth band, said hoops being continued entirely around the skirt, as shown in Patent No. 57,169 to E. L. Morris, and I do not claim either of theseconstructions, but hereby disclaim the same.

What I claim as my invention is In combination with thebustle Aaud hoopskirt B, the straps d and d d,'attached to said bustle, and provided with buckles f at their lower ends, and the straps on m and m m m, 2 5 attached to the skirt B, and provided with loops n at their free ends, the whole construct ed and arranged substantially as herein shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

J AMES J ENKINSON. 

